] 22 Transactions of the London Horticultural Society. 



" 3. Always to sow the seeds in dry loam ; to give very little water until 

 the seeds are fairly up, and then only sparingly. 



"4. To cause the seeds to vegetate as quickly as possible after sowing, 

 more particularly if the seeds are old or damaged, taking great care, how- 

 ever, that, before they are fairly above ground, they are removed to a much 

 cooler place, where there is plenty of light and air, and they can be secured 

 from frost. 



" 5. Not to let the young seedlings remain very long in the seed-pots before 

 they are potted off, and to give plenty of air to them after they are potted, 

 with as little artificial heat as possible. 



" 6. Always to plant them out in the open ground after the second year. 

 If pines are kept any length of time in pots, especially if not regularly shifted 

 twice a year, their roots become pot-bound ; and as they are a race of plants 

 which make few roots, and those always near the surface of the ground, they 

 are almost sure, if confined many years in pots, to be blown over or to one 

 side ; and, when this has once happened, they hardly ever become firm, or 

 make handsome trees." 



40. On the Improvement of the Wild Carrot. By M. Vilmorin, F. M. H. S. 



Read March 3. 1840. 



This paper contains the history of an experiment noticed in our Volume 

 for 1840, p. 296., by which M. Vilmorin, in the course of four generations, 

 raised between 1833 and 1839, succeeded in obtaining carrots from the wild 

 carrot nearly as good as those in cultivation. M. Vilmorin began by sowing 

 seeds of the wild carrot in rich soil, and transplanting the roots, and saving 

 seeds from them ; and he repeated the operation four times, always choosing 

 the plants which had the largest and most succulent roots. The experiment 

 is interesting, as showing how readily some plants may be civilised ; and it 

 is impossible to say to what extent this may be carried in the vegetable 

 kingdom. 



41. Upon forcing the Peach Tree. By Mr. Robert Errington, Gardener to 

 Sir Philip De Malpas Grey Egerton, Bart., M.P., F.ES., Oulton Park, 

 Cheshire. Read Jan. 21. 1840. 



The house has metallic sash-bars, is 30 ft. long, 12 ft. wide, and 3 ft. high in 

 front, with a trellis under the roof, and 14 in. from it ; except at the base 

 of the trellis, which is 3 ft. from the front sashes, in order to allow of a walk 

 to give air. The roof is at an angle of 50°, and is consequently rather steep 

 than flat. The front sashes rest on a low wall, built on arches, and the tree, 

 a noblesse peach, is planted inside; consequently, it has roots both within the 

 house and without. The house, built by Mr. Jones of Birmingham, is heated 

 by him with hot water. The lap of the glass is curvilinear and closed, except 

 a small hole in the centre of the curve for the escape of condensed steam. 

 The border was excavated to the depth of 42 in., and the width of 21 ft. The 

 subsoil is a clean red sand, presenting an inclined surface of nearly 1 in. 

 to I ft. 



" After laying a complete system of drainage, the whole surface was covered 

 1 ft. in depth with old bricks and stones ; on this was laid 3 in. of lime rub- 

 bish, out of which all small particles had been carefully sifted. The lime 

 rubbish being formed to an even surface, was covered entirely over with thin 

 turfs of heath soil, cut about 1 ft. square, and placed horizontally, barely 

 touching each other ; and, finally, a sprinkling of small gravel stones was 

 swept into all the crevices : the whole was now covered to the depth of 24 in. 

 with a compost as follows : 



" Good maiden loam, fresh from an old pasture, half-way between strong 

 and light, of a yellow colour, 12; leaves from the park, in a fresh state, 3 ; 

 horse-dung, 2 ; sharp sand, 1 ; bone waste, 2. These ingredients were, of 

 course, thoroughly blended together. 



